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UE: SCI 210SC: Energy & Its Impact on Global Society: Research and Writing Tips

Science 210

Directions

Steps for locating Relevant Articles

Use targeted search terms

  • "global warming" is probably too broad.
  • "Coastal Flooding" AND "global warming" AND "Eastern Seaboard" might be a better search if you are focusing on that region of the United States.

Not sure how to search? Ask for help! (library@saintleo.libanswers.com); (800) 359-5945.  

Read the abstract carefully to determine whether you should continue on to the full article. Don't just pick the first 5 articles in the list. Ask yourself:

  • Is there sufficient evidence provided by the author(s) to continue reading the full article?
  • Does the author's position on your topic match your hypothesis, or does it disagree with your hypothesis?
  • Do you understand what the author is talking about, or is this article way too "Scientific" for the pupose of this assignment? (hint: if there is a lot of jargon, math and statistics, it is probably more than you need for this particular assignment).

Once you have located 5 articles about using writing as a tool for learning in your content area:

  1. Read each article in its entirety and make notes about the articles, highlighting the ideas, facts, and supporting evidence you find to be most useful. 
  2. Be sure to examine the evidence provided to determine if other reliable resources support the position of the author or the hypothesis proposed.  

Sample article (PDF)

As you read this sample article, think about the inferred theoretical framework. If you follow the "bread crumb trail" of the works cited for thuis article, you can figure out that the researcher was basing his/her research on other research. When you read the articles you locate for this assignment, keep that in mind; it can help you figure out when the research and theory are not explicitly spelled out in the article.

Ask yourself:

  1. What is the main point of the article?
  2. Are there any words you don't know the meaning of? (Write them down, look them up).
  3. Are there any cause/effect or other relaltionships described? If yes, what are they?
  4. What are the key ideas conveyed by the author?
  5. Are there other readings you could complete to help you understand the topic better?
  6. Would this author be considered an authoritative source? Why or Why not?
  7. Would this article be an acceptable one for use for this class? Why or why not?

Drill Palin, Sarah. (2009). National Review. In this article the author offers her views on why the U.S. needs to support domestic drilling for petroleum.

More Information

  1. Write a summary of the article. At the top of each summary, write a citation for the journal article using APA format. 
  2. This should be two to three paragraphs, depending on the length of the article. Explain the purpose for the article, any theoretical discussion regarding writing as a tool to help students learn, and any strategies that the author recommends to engage students in meaningful writing activities.  
  3.     Lastly, in a paragraph or more, discuss any implications this article may have on your own classroom practice.  How would you use what you have learned?  (Remember, only select articles that are useful to you, or this section will be most difficult.)

Each summary should be approximately 1-1½ pages in length.  Remember, the syllabus and the LibGuide for this course recommend lots of good resources.